Paint it Green
by FoxAK
Summary: The new and improved Kurotsuchi Mayuri is facing a predicament. An accident inside the lab caused many of his scientists to be injured, but the experiments must not be delayed! The best solution to all this trouble is to drag a certain human scientist into the mess. Sequel to Green and Blue. Will be updated sporadically.
1. Chapter 1

_Soul Society was thrown into chaos. Nothing but pure chaos. The worst thing imaginable happened. Kurotsuchi Mayuri of the 12__th__ Division turned out to be good-looking and most importantly, a decent man. After hearing his story in the Human World through Yoruichi's assistance, Mayuri was overrun by people who asked ridiculous questions which of course, were refused_, **_politely_**._ All the Shinigamis thought it was the end of the world or some kind of sick joke conjured up by the twisted mind of the notorious scientist. The hatred and disgust towards the captain built throughout the years was so great that many still avoided him or visibly recoil away from him when confronted._

_Paying no heed to the strange looks he was receiving, Mayuri continued making his way to the 1__st__ Division barracks. To be honest, he still felt a little strange without his makeup on even after several months, but the fact that the looks on people's faces changed from antipathy into confusion amused him; he decided to not return to his face-painting ways._

_Without a single noise, he walked up to the captain's door and knocked. Drawing a deep breath, he waited for a reply from the ancient Shinigami._

"Come in."

_Gingerly, Mayuri opened the door. The captain of the 1__st__ Division, Yamamoto Genryusai rose his head to see whom the visitor was, and almost got a heart attack when he realized it was the "new and improved" Mayuri._

_Catching his breath, the elder Shinigami beckoned the other to come closer. _"What is it that you need from me, young one?"

_Mayuri scratched his chin as he contemplated on how to speak. Reaching a conclusion, he answered, _"Several scientists in the SRDI got severely wounded during an experiment, and I would like for them to take a break. So basically, my request, Yamamoto-taichou, is to ask you to allow the passage of several Shinigami to the Human World to find a temporary assistant or two for the sake of the 12th Division. Although I would love to go there personally, but if I leave right now, the current situation in the institute will worsen. If unable to fulfill my request, then be prepared for a major increase of patients in the 4th Division medical center because of an overdose of working overtime."

_Two points from Mayuri's short report baffled Yamamoto. He was well aware that the "Mayuri Version 2" was a completely different entity from the first version, but the fact that one, Mayuri was willing to give his injured researchers a time off, and two, instead of going ballistic over postponed projects, he placed the health of his fellow scientists as top priority still left him in a daze. And to add to all the freakiness, Mayuri's voice was still exactly the same. If you closed your eyes and listened, the very thought of "Mayuri Version 1" saying such words would send chills up one's spine. Yamamoto was trying very hard to prevent his shaking hands from pinching himself._

_Gripping his staff, he managed to stammer out, _"I… yes, of course. Go on ahead."

_He breathed out in relief as he watched the captain exit his room hastily, overwhelmed by the good news. Massaging his temples, he was making an effort to expel the certain memory of seeing something that was even more horrifying than a caring Mayuri._

_Kurotsuchi Mayuri's smile no longer carried any killing intent. All that was left was a smile filled to the brim with warmness and gooey niceness. How very disturbing._


	2. Chapter 2

_Sipping his tea silently, Verde changed the channel on his TV repeatedly in the dark living room. Although he looked bored, he was actually taking a break from fighting his greatest enemy: the inventor's block. So dastardly his foe was that he was forced to spend days in his lab to come up with clever new ideas, but the vicious opponent refused to back down, ripping apart his designs, claiming that they were neither realistic nor usable. Fatigue came to him and passed him a towel to wipe his sweat from the battle and told him to rest for a while, which he was doing presently._

_Eyes glued on the bright flashing screen in front of himself as he sat there like a robot whose hand only moved to bring the cup of tea to his lips. How long has it been since the last time he saw sunshine? The brilliant scientist himself was unsure. Days? Weeks? Or maybe months? He did not know. All he did know was that the inventor's block was a thorn in his side. An agonizing one at that._

_Lack of sleep and completely no interactions with the outside world for a period of time paid its toll on his mind. Verde became a little distressed, jumping at even the slightest sound, getting ready to shoot his infamous "Electrico Thunder" at even the faintest shadow darting past, and worst of all, becoming delusional. Every so often, he could swear that he heard his beloved mother calling him to go to the kitchen, to drink a piping hot cup of green tea. Although his heart yearned to go to his mother's side, he knew that was naught but a lie. His mother passed away long ago, leaving himself alone in this wretched world. As for his father, well, not much was there to say, because the man literally abandoned them, accelerating the date of his mother's death. She truly loved his father._

_As if he finally gave up, the empty cup fell from his grasp and clattered noisily on the ground. Without even giving it a glance, the empty shell of a man kept looking at the blinking monitor, oblivious to anything other than it. And because of that, he failed to notice a portal opening inside the kitchen, throwing out two Shinigamis._

"Are you sure this is the correct address, Ikkaku?"

"Of course. Although I didn't volunteer to help that guy, but I will still get the job done. This's the place Captain Ex-Clown-Face told us."

"Great, just great. Let's just get this over with. Damn, I was supposed to hang out with Rukia and Ichigo today. …By the way, why's it so dark? He should be at home, right? I mean, it's like 4 PM right now."

"He's a freak. Like Kurotsuchi. Hey, look over there! That TV is on."

"Let's check it out."

_Without warning, a spark of green electricity flew in between them, lighting up the room for a split second, revealing Verde, the mad scientist, at the doorway. A small click was heard and the lights blasted on the two intruders mercilessly._

"Well, well, well. Look what we got right here, Keiman." _The two Shinigami gulped. What would this man, this scientist who seemed to be on the same level as the dreadful Kurotsuchi Mayuri, do to them? Will they even be able to return to tell the tale, in one complete piece?_

_They watched in horror as the green-haired man lifted his pet crocodile and held it in front of himself. _"Keiman, don't those demons look delicious?"

"Demons?"

_Pointing his finger accusingly at them, Verde nodded knowingly. _"You two can't fool me. Garbed in black, weapons strapped onto your waists… Whatever could you be? Ah, but of course, the demons who have been plaguing my mind, robbing me of my ideas, that must be what the two of you are. Servants of the malicious block, you scoundrels, that's what you are! Isn't that right, Keiman?" _Said reptile wagged its tail happily as Verde stroked its scaly hide and uttered out a growl or two. The man looked at his pet affectionately as he continued to murmur to it lovingly._

_Ikkaku whispered to his companion, Renji, _"I think he lost it."

"Same conclusion here. Say, what do you think about knocking him unconscious now and dragging him to Soul Society? Saves a lot of trouble."

"Perfect idea. Let's do it."

_Using the famed Shunpo, Ikkaku swiftly dodged behind the still befuddled scientist and slammed his fist onto Verde's unprotected neck. The scientist fell onto the ground unceremoniously with an agonized groan and went into unconscious mode. Judging by the current condition of his body and mind, it might've been for the best._

_Mouth agape, Renji stammered, _"Ikkaku! Wha-What did you do that for?!"

"Huh? He's out cold, isn't he? Isn't that the plan?"

"Yeah… but I heard that scientists are brittle! One wrong move and your attack would be fatal!"

_Silence. The soft pitter-patters of Keiman's clawed feet resounded clearly as the animal went up to the body of its master, nudging his glasses as if trying to wake him up. Sweat collected on both of the Shinigamis' faces as the reptile continued to shove Verde devotedly. Silence into perspiration. Perspiration into fear and panic at the same time._

"Hey Renji. Is he dead? He seems awfully still and quiet to not be dead." _No response. Dread button pressed. _"Oh my Hueco Mundo! He's dead!"

"Wait!" _Holding out his arm, Renji stopped Ikkaku from acting rashly, which might result in the bald Shinigami disposing the body. Calmly, the red-haired Shinigami stated, _"Look, his soul isn't coming out, nor is he turning into a hollow… which means that he's still alive… right?"

"I'm not from the 4th Division, how should I know?"

"…Let's just take him back."

* * *

"…de…Verde…"

_Rubbing his eyes, what invited his vision was a snow white room, and the person who was calling his name over and over again until he came to, was none other than Luce. She was dressed in her usual attire, but what really caught his attention was the fact that she was radiating white light. Seeing a dead acquaintance standing in front of him was already ridiculous enough, so Verde decided to not question the fact that he could see white light in a completely white room. Some things are better left unknown._

"Luce… but how can it be? Aren't you… gone? This is scientifically impossible, even if you are the Arcobaleno of the Sky!"

_The lady giggled. _"Silly, of course I'm not alive anymore. Oh, but that doesn't mean you're dead too, Verde!"

"Can you explain it in a language I understand, woman?"

"That's what we keep telling you back then, but you still rambled on about "sciency" things!" _Luce instantly recognized the ever-so-familiar expression of boredom on Verde's face, so she quickly changed the subject. _"Well, to be honest, you're going to the Land of the Dead. And you're just unconscious and I'm just a figment of your imagination created from your memories of Luce."

"That's a lot to take in."

"Now that we got all that cleared up, it's time for you to wake up!" _Finishing, she took out a large bat out of nowhere and walked towards Verde, who seems to be a little shocked by the sudden turn of events._

"I really need to study Sigmund Freud."


	3. Chapter 3

_Pacing impatiently in front of the white door of the infirmary, Mayuri grumbled darkly. He wanted to hit himself repeatedly on the head for trusting other captains to choose candidates for the search of his friend. _

_Ever since Mayuri returned from the fateful event of meeting Verde in the human world, they stayed in touch, calling each other at least three times per week, talking about new discoveries and things they each loved. Through the messages, the blue-haired man also realized that his new best friend, who had already seemed not physically fit, seemed to be mentally unfit these days. Sometimes during a sophisticated chat, Verde would suddenly burst out in a manic laugh, giggling crazily about how lovely it would be to see Reborn's head on a silver platter, ready to be served to his dear pet Keiman, when the conversation was clearly about when they would explore some ancient ruins. Add all that with an extremely powerful knock on the neck, and that leads to nothing but trouble. Mayuri's actually very thankful that he arrived just in time to see the two brutes dragging his unconscious body through the portal. At that time, he was so anxious and jumpy that he didn't even waste a single second to take the knocked out scientist to the 4__th__ Division barracks; he didn't even spare a moment to scold Renji and Ikkaku for being so insensitive and aggressive towards his friend._

_Shkkt._

_The automatic door slid open and revealed the lieutenant Kotetsu Isane, and before she could say anything, Mayuri pounced on her and pinned her onto the wall, firmly placing his hands on her shoulders, his golden eyes dancing with mad anticipation._

"Kotetsu-fukutaichou, I give you an entire minute to relate everything. Starting now."

_Stammering like their 7__th__ Seat, the fearful young lady squeaked out, _"Kurotsuchi-taichou! I assure you, your friend is fine! He's only out cold right now, but he'll be fine as soon as he wakes up!" _She felt the pressure on her shoulders lighten, lifting her nervous attitude as well. She smiled kindly and continued with a slightly worried tone wavering in her voice. _"Yes, all's well except for the fact that's he a little bit malnourished. Has he been eating well?"

_Now it was Mayuri's turn to feel awkward. How can he put "he doesn't even eat" and "he only drinks green tea" eloquently and make it sound like it's not a big deal? Pursing his lips in thought and noticing the lieutenant looking at him with a confused expression, Mayuri backed away, giving her some space, and replied, _"I saw him eat pike the first time we met." _The scientist chuckled as he saw Isane's brows furrow with an even greater amount of confusion._

_Now knowing that Verde's fine and only needs some rest and actually eat something, Mayuri practically skipped out of the facility. Stares that can only be described as bewildered followed him all the way back to the 12__th__ Division's gigantic doorways, which he pushed open with ease. How the squad members of that certain division could wave back as charismatically as their captain does towards them is still a complete mystery waiting to be solved, according to the by-standing Shinigamis, but they all agree on one thing: this Mayuri could work miracles. Messed-up, but miracles nonetheless._

* * *

_Akon, the ever faithful 3__rd__ Seat of the 12__th__ Division, was supervising all the experiments when the captain wasn't around as usual. He liked to hang around on the second floor of the facility, simply because he could get a better view on everyone like that. Though Mayuri had asked him to go around checking on the tests one-by-one, he himself believed in his fellow scientists and decided to only watch over them on whether they're slacking off or not. And not surprisingly, the current Mayuri agreed whole-heartedly. Akon chuckled to himself as he watched Hiyosu scolding Rin for getting cookie crumbs over the paperwork. Amused he was at the antics of both his colleagues when a sudden movement in the lower left corner of the lab caught his keen eyes._

_Two new recruits, both students who graduated from the academy with top grades, were whispering to each other as they continued working. Akon squinted at them and delicately wore an earpiece he created for own personal uses that allowed him to obtain exceptional hearing abilities. His happy mood evaporated almost instantly when he caught on to what they were conversing about. It was about their captain, Kurotsuchi Mayuri._

"Huh, the rumors are true after all. That guy's a freak."

"Agreed. He was acting like an asshole, and now? He's only trying to make us trust him."

"And as soon as we and everyone else does, bam, he gets us. Straps us onto lab tables, bottle us up for future experiments… who knows what that sicko wants to do us?"

_Akon frowned. Before he could do anything hasty, for example, feed them to the hollows that they held in captivity for tests, he reminded himself that they didn't know Mayuri on a more personal level and chose to let those ignorant comments pass for now. Unbeknownst to most of the scientists other than the usual gang, Akon and Mayuri have known each other for an incredibly long time. The fact is, they met each other in the Nest of Maggots. Back then, Akon was one of the few children locked in that prison, and other inmates looked down on him, seeing him to be nothing but a brat. But Mayuri knew better. Mayuri saw talent in the child, impressive talent that might surpass his own one day. Every so often, Akon wandered into the area near Mayuri's cell only to listen to his experience in the field of science._

_And on rare occasions, slivers of the elder's past would slip past his mouth unwittingly. People used to comment on how Akon was far too clever for his own age, and back then, he proved it to be true. Piecing bits of the story together, he realized what Mayuri had been through. Torment, suffering, pain, humiliation, false accusations, even witch hunts were played on Mayuri during his youth, just because he looked different, only because he had blue hair and golden eyes. He became the twisted man he is today, the captain of the 12__th__ Division that everyone loathes so much, out of fear and desperation to escape from the abuse. The child felt a wave of pity towards the man when he also came to realize that Mayuri had stopped believing in others, emotionally isolating himself from others, frightened of being betrayed again. To Akon's amazement, as the number of times they talked with each other increased, they slowly bonded as well. Soon, they became best of friends, the age gap completely unheeded._

_When Urahara Kisuke came in to recruit Mayuri, Akon was overjoyed when he heard Mayuri wanting to take him out as well. Luckily, Urahara was a benevolent captain, willing to take in anyone who was helpful, even if he was a child. Back out in the world, Akon constantly found himself sticking close to his teacher and mentor, knowing that Mayuri would never chase him away despite his short temper._

_The Mayuri back then was always cautious and on-edge. Never would the man even dream of letting someone he didn't trust, namely anyone besides Nemu and Akon, see his weak side, also known as the him before. There was this impression in his mind that kept on telling him that he used to be weak. That the him right now would no longer be picked on or beaten. But in Mayuri's own perspective, it was much better than being left in a pool of his own blood after an assault. Way better. The times when the captain would act like he is recently is when only Akon and Nemu were around. Rin and Hiyosu were the only others who knew about such eccentricities, but never had the chance to experience it themselves up until now. Like in the Nest of Maggots, Mayuri treated Akon with care, guiding him like a father. As far as Akon could tell, Nemu received such treatment as well, seeing how the two would be giggling together at some poor, unfortunate soul that stumbled into one of his rigged booby traps every so often. There were even times when he caught Mayuri telling far-fetched stories just to amuse the girl. It was a difficult task, since Nemu hardly smiled, but the dutiful father still put up an effort, leading to a monotonous laugh escaping from her crimson lips. On contrary to everyone's beliefs, Mayuri truly loved his daughter, but thinking that he would be labeled as "weak" inside his mind, and knowing that Nemu was well-aware of this fact, he carried on a show just to deceive the mass._

_Drifting away in his thoughts, Akon began to muse over the fact on how the protective shell around Mayuri's heart cracked and shattered that fast. The reunion with his childhood crush was a great impact, and he firmly believed that meeting Verde was the last strike. But was the process not a little too… fast? It took only 5 months to bust the real Mayuri out. Well, Akon didn't mind. In fact, he was quite happy for his captain. Mayuri finally feels comfortable around everyone, now that he found people other than himself that he can rely on._

_Purged of thoughts on his captain, Akon threw a glance at the two Shinigami who sparked his memories, and nearly face palmed. Not only were they not working anymore, they attracted a small crowd of other scientists with the "interesting" conversation, earning murmurs of agreement. Just as he was about to go downstairs and stop all that nonsense, a voice cut in._

"Can anyone explain to me just what is going on over here?"

_Akon's eyes scanned the room and found the owner of that unique voice quickly, coming up with the decision of just sitting back to watch the show. This was going to be fascinating._

_The two ringleaders began to back off, trying to pin the entire cause of the ordeal on each other, babbling incoherently. As the crowd dispersed almost immediately, Akon noted the fact that only those two Shinigami and the newcomer remained there. How he wished he had popcorn._

_Captain Kurotsuchi, the one facing the two, was not amused by their rambling. He held up a hand, saying, _"Never mind about what I just said. Just get back to work. We've got a monstrous pile of work waiting for closure, so I'm not going to accept any shirking unless you really need the rest. I'll be in my room if you two have any more questions, understand?" _They nodded quickly. Noticing that they received the signal properly, Mayuri turned around and headed for the stairs, leading to his private study._

_Akon grinned mischievously as he saw his captain approaching. _"How does it feel like to be a nice guy for once and still have people insulting you behind your back, o great captain?"

_Replying with an annoyed voice directed at him, Mayuri muttered, _"Not much different. Back then, they were afraid of me killing them. And now I just freak them out."

"They'll see that you're a good guy soon enough. Don't worry too much about it. Trust me."

"Thanks. That's _really_ motivational."

"…I'm really trying to encourage you, Mayuri-taichou."


End file.
